We’ve got excellent news to share about our fight to end harmful fishing subsidies that fuel overfishing. Last week, the European Parliament voted on the EMFF, the financial mechanism of Europe’s fisheries policy, which determines where funding is allocated. We were happy to see that for the most part, MEPs understood that they needed to … Read more
Today, after almost two years of negotiations the European Parliament has taken positive steps in the vote on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Members of Parliament wisely rejected subsidies for new boats, which could have disastrous effects on the marine environment, doubled funding for data and control, and reassuringly stood strong on issues … Read more
(This piece was first published on Parliament Magazine’s website) Multiannual budgets, tobacco regulations and the financial crisis have been on the mind of many Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) lately; and rightly so, as decisions made on these issues have far-reaching effects on the daily life of Europeans. However, on 23 October, MEPs will … Read more
Today, the European Fisheries Council opted to listen to the fishing industry over scientific advice at the expense of Baltic Sea salmon and cod. Even though scientific data is clear that larger cuts in allowable catches are needed to transition to Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2015 and reach sustainable levels of fishing, the 2014 … Read more
As the European Parliament plenary vote on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) approaches, we need to put pressure on MEPs to make sure that they vote for a fund that is in line with the new Common Fisheries Policy’s objectives. The new EMFF will define the way aid is granted to the European … Read more
Deep-sea fisheries: Exploiting the most vulnerable species from Oceana on Vimeo. Stand up for the Deep from Oceana on Vimeo.
The EU began to manage deep-sea stocks in 2002, but Regulation (EC) 2347/2002 (the ‘deep-sea access regime’) has failed to ensure their sustainable management. Few species are managed with catch limits (total allowable catches or TACs), and these TACs have frequently been set higher than scientifically advised. Even so, in about 50% of cases, actual … Read more
Data on deep-sea fisheries catches, discards, landings and fishing effort are scarce. However, scientific evidence suggests that most EU deep-sea stocks have been exploited beyond levels that are sustainable. Many stocks are depleted below levels that are considered to be biologically risky, with 21 species now prohibited for retention or landing, due to concerns about … Read more
Two hundred scientists have signed a letter urging the European Parliament to stop investing in the environmentally harmful subsidies that the Fisheries Committee has voted for. On October 23, the Parliament will vote on the new financial mechanism for fisheries for the next seven years– the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). “The Parliament cannot … Read more
The deep-sea starts at 200 m below the surface, where sunlight does not penetrate – but where fisheries still operate, reaching down to more than 1500 m. Most deep-sea fisheries in the North-East Atlantic sprang up in the second half of the 20th century, after the decline of traditional continental shelf stocks, and with the … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
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